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US$20m goes up in smoke in Hsichih

Firefighters attempt to bring the fire at a 26-story building complex in Hsichih under control late Saturday night. The fire was still smoldering late last night. PHOTO: LIAO RAY-SHANG, TAIPEI TIMES

A fire in a 26-story high-tech complex in Hsichih, Taipei County, was still smoldering late last night, despite efforts by firefighters for more than 40 hours to extinguish the blaze.

No one has been injured in the fire, but financial losses to companies housed in the complex are expected to be huge.

The cause of the fire has yet to be officially announced.

Many offices in the complex, called the Eastern Science Park, were severely damaged by the blaze, including those of Taiwan computer giant Acer Inc (宏電). According to the company, five of its subsidiaries -- Aopen Inc, Hi-Trust Co, Servex Ltd, Acer Pivotal Co and Apacer Co -- were housed in the high-rise.

Stan Shih (施振榮), Acer Group's chairman, estimated that the fire has caused the company losses of around NT$670 million (US$20 million) in damage to property, equipment and inventory.

He added that while Acer had insured its properties against fire and has backup copies of essential data at other locations, around NT$130 million of the damage will not be covered by insurance.

A firefighter inspects the damage yesterday morning. PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES

"The fire puts this country and Acer's reputation on the line," Shih said.

Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) inspected the scene twice yesterday, and called for the organization of a task force to investigate the accident.

It took more than 500 firefighters until 3pm yesterday afternoon to bring the fire under control, but late last night reports said that flames had been discovered on the 20th floor.

An unidentified man moves through the remains of one of the offices which were gutted by the fire yesterday. PHOTO: CHU PEI-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

The fire broke out at 4am on Saturday in the building's A-block, one of the three towers that comprise the complex.

That blaze was believed by firefighters to be isolated and had been extinguished by Saturday evening. However, at around 10pm, the upper levels of all three towers were ablaze.

Firefighters believe that the "smokestack effect," whereby stairwells and ventilation ducts pull smoke and flames to upper levels, helped the fire spread from lower to higher stories.

Firefighters were unable to engage the blaze as it moved above the 20th story -- beyond the reach of the fire trucks.

"The fire puts this country and Acer's reputation on the line."

Stan Shih, chairman of Acer Group

Taipei County fire officials said that their department has the highest-reaching elevating platform in Asia, capable of reaching 72m.

According to the Taipei County fire bureau, the building failed to pass a fire prevention test on March 6. The report said the building lacked fire extinguishers and proper emergency signs to direct individuals to fire exits. In addition, obstacles blocked the building's internal sprinkler system.

The local fire bureau said it had given the management of the building one month to improve fire safety standards.

However, the building's owner, former Tuntex Group president Chen Yu-hao (陳由豪), denied there were any problems with the building's safety facilities.

"We have followed the government's guidelines carefully," Chen said.

Shih Shuo-lien (施秀蓮), an eyewitness to the fire and employee of a company housed inside the complex, said she blamed firefighters for failing to bring the blaze under control.

"I think that lack of experience among the firefighters is the reason why it has taken so long to put out the fire," she said.

Lee Wen-ching (李文卿), a local architect, said that he felt that the building's ability to stop or slow the fire was more crucial.

"It's usually too late when firefighters arrive. High-rise buildings like this should have their own facilities to prevent fires. They should not be dependent on ladder trucks," Lee said.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, any building more than 10 stories high should have automatic sprinkler systems and firewalls to contain the spread of a blaze.

Fire officials, however, speculate that power to water pumps may have been disrupted by the blaze, thus disabling the sprinkler system.

The Tuntex group constructed the buildings in 1996. Some 236 high-tech companies have set up shop inside the building.
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